Capital and Testing Grantees Announced
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CARE's California Carpet Stewardship Program has awarded three capital improvement grants, under Cycle 4A, and three product testing grants, under Cycle 3B. The capital improvement grants total $1,260,000 and the testing grants total $240,000.
The grantees are:
Aquafil Group, Phoenix, AZ: Use of densifying system to recycle California-sourced polypropylene material. Awarded $260,000.
Los Angeles Fiber, Vernon, CA: Equipment to enable the processing of commercial broadloom California post-consumer carpet (PCC). Awarded $500,000.
GC Products, Lincoln, CA: Testing replacement of silica aggregate with PC4 (carpet backing material) aggregate in architectural products for indoor and outdoor use. Awarded $40,000.
necoPlastics, Columbus, OH: Testing the addition of densified California PCC material to concrete and asphalt. Awarded $100,000.
ReFiber, Sacramento, CA: Continued testing of California PCC in stormwater filtration applications. Awarded $100,000.
The capital projects are expected to produce an additional 17.5 million pounds of recycled California PCC output through the grant term, which ends on September 30, 2021. Approximately 75% of all awarded funds were in-state, as targeted in CARE’s approved Stewardship Plan.
CARE expects to approve additional post-consumer carpet collection-related capital improvements grants this month and may re-release grant funds for capital improvement and/or PCC collection projects during the month of September. CARE's Micro Grants for Collection and Reuse, labeled Cycle 3M, remain open to California-based projects, which may apply for up to $15,000 through 2020.
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COVID Action Plan Expands
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Since the pandemic was first recognized, CARE has acted swiftly and decisively to take actions in support of recycling businesses and to ensure continued success of the program. CARE has continued to track developments associated with the pandemic and its impact on the carpet recycling community as well as the larger economy. Several factors have resulted in significant drops in the price of both virgin and post-industrial polymers, which are the primary competition for PCC materials.
In an effort to maintain competitiveness against these declines, CARE has instituted additional short-term, special COVID-19 related adjustments to some of the subsidies paid to recyclers for particular materials.
Effective Q3 and Q4 2020:
- Nylon 6 Tier 2 will increase by 15 cents/lb.
- Nylon 66 Tier 2 will increase by 3 cents/lb.
- PET Tier 1 will increase by 5 cents/lb.
- PP Tier 1 will increase by 5 cents/lb.
These actions were informed by CARE’s economic models and were updated according to the latest market intelligence and projections. The special COVID-19 subsidy increments are in effect for Q3 & Q4 only and are anticipated to return to the prior programmed levels in January 2021. The COVID-19 subsidy boost is not part of the regular base subsides listed in the approved Plan and thus not guaranteed.
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CARE is pleased to announce one new carpet recycling drop-off site:
There are currently 79 CARE-supported public drop-off sites in the state, serving 52 counties.
CARE supports drop-off sites by providing at no cost:
- A container for collection,
- Third-party hauling to bring carpet material to recyclers,
- Promotional materials for local government and the hosting facility and
- Technical assistance from CARE staff.
To see if there is a CARE-sponsored drop-off site in your county, visit the
In addition to public drop-off sites, CARE works with the recyclers who operate more than 160 private network collection sites around the state.
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CalRecycle and CARE have coordinated to streamline carpet reporting by establishing a single reporting entity in the Recycling and Disposal Reporting System (RDRS) to capture all post-consumer carpet (PCC) collected at CARE Public Drop-off Sites that meet the reporting criteria. Drop-off sites should report PCCt outflows in the following way:
- Outflow Stream: Recycling/Composting
- RDRS Number = RD12614
- Destination (Organization Name): California Carpet Stewardship Program (CARE)
- Material type “CARPET CARPET CARPET”
Additional notes:
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Retailers/Dealers that are also CARE Public Drop-off Sites are exempt from reporting to CalRecycle – CARE ensures that all of your tonnage is included in our overall reporting to CalRecycle.
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If you Self-Haul your drop-off site’s carpet, report the destination as “California Carpet Stewardship Program (CARE)” (not the facility to which you deliver).
Drop-off site staff with questions regarding CARE’s reporting in RDRS should contact Cheryl Duran.
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CARE Staff Profile: Cheryl Duran
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Cheryl joined CARE as Project Coordinator in early 2019. She helps to manage logistics and operational issues for drop-off sites and recycling partners and compiles the carpet collection data that is central to the Program’s work. CARE sites are encouraged to contact her for service request issues, quarterly report questions and CARE’s AB 901 reporting to CalRecycle.
Cheryl has extensive experience in in customer service-related industries and provided logistical support as a contractor for the Department of Defense. She holds an MBA degree with a focus in project management.
Born and raised in California, Cheryl’s one true love is the culinary arts – a one-time professional chef, she continues to support charitable organizations with her cooking skills.
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CARE Featured in Floor Trends
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An interview with CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples in the August issue of Floor Trends magazine covers advances in recycling technology as well as the California Carpet Stewardship Program’s progress and the impact of COVID-19 on the industry.
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